Brewery which had 20,000 litres of beer seized could soon be back on tap

Paul Kelly

A South Tyneside brewery which had thousands of litres of out-of-date beer removed by Customs officers could soon be back on tap.

Customs and excise officers carried out the operation at Jarrow Breweries on the Bede Industrial Estate and at one of the pubs the company operates, The Maltings in South Shields, last Thursday.

Former Jarrow Brewery owner Jess McConnell.

In an agreement with Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) the company had stopped brewing and distributing its own real ales – including the famous Rivet Catcher beer – on June 25 because it did not have a licence to do so.

But former director Jess McConnell says he remains “very hopeful” of the brewery bouncing back, with a decision from HMRC on a new brewing licence expected within about two weeks.

Meanwhile, it’s not thought HMRC intend to take any action against the company after the disposal of the beer.

Mr McConnell, who established the former Jarrow Brewery in 2002, added: “The company is very hopeful of brewing again in the near future.

Company is very hopeful of brewing again

Jess McConnell

“Whilst I am no longer a director of Jarrow Breweries Ltd, my wife’s children, Lewis Harvey and Mikaela Finnigan, who are both brewers and have been in the trade for the last 12 years, are hopeful of being able to continue to brew on South Tyneside.”

A HMRC spokesman said: “We do not comment on the business affairs of individual taxpayers or businesses.”